Phantom or Phantom Extended?

If you will regularly drive yourself, begin by assessing the driving position, visibility and the way the car fits your usual journeys. Standard Phantom remains part of the current range alongside Extended.

If you expect to spend most journeys in the rear, put rear-seat space and your preferred seating arrangement at the centre of the appointment. Rolls-Royce describes Extended around that more expansive rear-cabin experience.

Neither choice needs to be reduced to a rule that one is only for drivers and the other only for passengers. Your use can change between a weekday journey, an evening out and a longer trip.

The appeal of Extended is the emphasis on space behind the front seats. Sit in the rear with the front seat positioned for the person who will normally drive, then assess your actual posture and the room around you.

Discuss the seating arrangement before deciding on upholstery or decorative finishes. The configuration that suits two adults travelling quietly may differ from one chosen for a changing mix of passengers.

Manufacturer imagery shows selected interiors and optional details. The exact seating, finishes and entertainment specification must be identified on your commission or the individual car you are considering.

Think beyond whether a car fits into a parking bay. Measure the garage entrance and consider the space needed to open doors, enter comfortably and load luggage at home.

Ask for the exact dimensions of the configured vehicle, including mirrors, and discuss the routes and destinations you use most often. A longer rear-cabin format deserves a practical access check before you commit.

For a household using a chauffeur, involve that driver in the discussion. Where the car waits, how guests approach it and where bags are loaded can influence the specification as much as the journey itself.

Rolls-Royce’s current Phantom material describes The Gallery as the glass enclosure across the fascia that can present Bespoke artwork. It is a way to make the cabin personal rather than a reason, by itself, to choose a longer wheelbase.

Bring a clear brief: colours you live with, materials you enjoy and any subject you want the commission to express. Ask the team to establish what is possible, what is optional and what affects the final quotation.

A particular artwork, timber or finish in a manufacturer photograph should not be assumed to be standard equipment. The same principle applies when comparing a pre-owned Phantom with a new commission.

Decide how you expect to use time in the rear: conversation, music, work or simply a quiet journey. Then compare the controls and equipment that support that use.

The manufacturer’s current Extended imagery includes rear entertainment screens. Ask to see the operation of the system fitted to the actual car, including connections and passenger controls.

Consider the ambience as well as the screen specification. Rolls-Royce’s Phantom imagery also illustrates the Starlight Headliner; availability and the design of an individual installation form part of the vehicle specification.

Extended rear accommodation is not a substitute for checking the boot with your own luggage. Bring the cases, garment bags or other items that regularly accompany you.

Rolls-Royce shows a curated luggage suite designed for the boot in its current Extended material. Treat it as a separately specified accessory discussion, not an assumption that the bags pictured accompany every car.

Ask the team to check loading access and the actual arrangement you require. A useful purchase appointment answers how you will use the space, rather than relying on a photograph alone.

Grange lists both Phantom and Phantom Extended. Request individually specified quotations with comparable seating, finishes and equipment.

Discuss current ordering, availability and a suitable viewing with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Edinburgh. For a pre-owned example, compare the actual build specification and condition rather than assuming it matches today’s configurator.